Eight players were ejected and a referee was bleeding from a cut on his face following a late scuffle between East Carolina and NC State in Saturday’s Military Bowl, which the Pirates won 26-21.
During the altercation, an ECU player shoved an NC State player from behind, and the NC State player’s helmet hit the ref in the face, causing the cut.
The official used a towel to wipe himself off and a team trainer looked at him.
We’ve got a ref bleeding coming out of the ECU-NC State scuffle pic.twitter.com/rR2v0CtjxP
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 29, 2024
The drama around the game came in the weeks leading up to the contest, as NC State players, coaches and fans said ECU wasn’t a rival, while ECU said it was. ECU led 20-7 entering the fourth quarter, but NC State scored two quick touchdowns to take a 21-20 lead.
ECU appeared to return a fumble for a touchdown and the lead with just over two minutes to play, before officials said the NC State runner was down and then that forward progress was stopped, though replay showed he wasn’t down and a whistle hadn’t blown.
On ECU’s ensuing possession, running back Rahjai Harris took a handoff 86 yards for a touchdown and a 26-21 lead. The Pirates intercepted an NC State pass on the next drive to secure the win.
But when ECU ran the ball on its last drive to run out the clock, two players behind the play began wrestling with each other. Both sidelines cleared and multiple scuffles broke out as coaches and officials tried to keep them apart.
Five of the ejected players were from NC State, while three were from East Carolina.
“A great game, hate that it ended that way,” ECU head coach Blake Harrell said. “We’ve got to be smarter to finish the game. But a huge win for the Pirates.”
It won’t be long before these teams play again, as ECU and NC State will open the 2025 season against each other in Raleigh. NC State leads the all-time series 19-14, which dates to 1970.
(Photo: Tommy Gilligan / Imagn Images)
